07.18.2011 01:07 PM

CBC: Hudak refuses to state his position on abortion (updated)

Quote:

“When he was running for the PC leadership in 2009, Hudak told the Association for Reformed Political Action he is pro-life and had signed petitions calling for the defunding of abortions.

Hudak said Monday he “may have” signed a petition in that regard, but quickly added he has no intention of re-opening the abortion debate if the Tories win the Oct. 6 Ontario election.

However, the Opposition Leader refused to say if he still opposes abortion.”

All of us – pro-choice or otherwise – are entitled to know what he’d do on this issue, in the (now unlikelier) event he ever became Premier.

Keep at it, Dammit Janet, GritChik, Zerb et al.: you are driving this story.  Don’t let any Conservative fart-catcher suggest to you that it isn’t important.

(Personally, all this makes me remember Stockwell Day’s infamous no abortion “even in the case of rape or incest” statement.  I guess that’s why Tim Hudak was one of his most enthusiastic delegates and supporters.)

UPDATE: More here, now from the Star:  “When the Star repeatedly asked Hudak if he is “pro-life” he refused to answer the question.”

9 Comments

  1. Savant says:

    Hudak told the Star he “may have signed petitions” regarding defunding abortion but that he is not running on that platform and it is not part of PC policy going forward. When questioned further, Hudak said he would follow Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s lead and leave the abortion issue alone. He said he will not re-open the abortion debate if they are elected on Oct. 6.

    Seems pretty clear to me. Frankly his personal opinion is less important than party policy. Many a Liberal were/are opposed to abortion, but that doesn’t stop the party from having a policy to support it.

  2. Cath says:

    My Liberal MP was pro-life and more conservative on this issue than most small “c” conservatives I know. That plus his anti-gun registry stance got him re-elected a few times by my local community.

  3. Ted says:

    I don’t really care what his personal views are on this issue, frankly.

    It is his political views I care about.

    Does he now still support the full de-funding of abortion from OHIP coverage, like he said he did to win the Conservative leadership only 2 years ago?

    Many of the CPC leadership candidates, like Hudak, campaigned on de-funding abortion. What is the official CPC position on funding for abortion under OHIP?

    Since Hudak raised the issue of abortion funding in campaigning for and becoming leader of his party, he can’t now run and hide from the issue when he’s campaigning for leader of his Province.

    We have a right to know what he’ll do in government. Our government.

  4. DL says:

    Supposedly Dalton McGuinty is a devout Catholic who never misses a mass. I would also like to hear his personal views on abortion!
    If you support a woman’s right to choose, only Andrea Horwath can be trusted!!

    • Ted says:

      He’s been in charge of the government for 8 years and never promised to de-fund abortion.

      It’s not about someone’s personal beliefs but their political action.

      Hudak has said he will de-fund abortion. He won the PCO leadership partly on this promise since it helped win over the religious right and the likes of Hillier. Plus several of the most senior members of his caucus and former leadership candidates (Hillier, Klees) have called for the de-funding of abortion in Ontario.

  5. DL says:

    If you believe in protecting a woman’s right to choose – only Andrea Horwath can be trusted. Anyone who is a “devout Catholic” will put the Vatican ahead of women’s rights. Do not trust McGuinty – if Pope Benedict threatens him with ex-communication – whose side do you think he’ll be on?

    I don’t really see any difference between Hudak and McGuinty on abortion – both are socially conservative Christians who refuse to be clear about their personal views on abortion and both have promised to maintain the status quo on access to abortion. For all the horrors that Mike Harris inflicted – access to abortion was never touched.

  6. frmr disgruntled Con, now Happy Lib says:

    A blast from the past….”In the past day or so, we have learned that Stockwell Day apparently believes that the world is 6,000 years old, Adam and Eve were real people and – my personal favourite – humans walked the earth with dinosaurs. I just want to remind Mr. Day that The Flintstones was not a documentary. And this is the only dinosaur that recently co-existed with humans. [Holds up stuffed Barney dinosaur]”

    Bless you Mr. Kinsella…..you singlehandedly did more to save us from Stock than anyone, save perhaps Logan and his idea for the seadoo and wetsuit presser……

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